The University of Florida's vision for a premier 36-hole championship golf course is one step closer to the first tee, following a key vote by the Alachua County Commission that clears the way for state and regional land use review of the ambitious 580-acre project.
Located on the east side of Southwest 122nd Street (Parker Road), just south of Myra Terwilliger Elementary School, this state-of-the-art facility is designed to serve dual purposes. It will provide the UF men's and women's golf teams with a top-tier home base while also offering limited public access through UF/IFAS, First Tee programs, and other educational initiatives.
In a unanimous vote on April 28, county commissioners heard from UF Vice President for Government and Community Relations Chuck Clemons, who praised the collaborative three-year partnership that brought the project to this milestone. Clemons then turned the floor over to UF men's golf coach J.C. Deacon, a 12-year veteran of the program who has led the Gators to a national championship, two SEC titles, and over 30 tournament victories.
Deacon, still feeling the sting of a narrow loss to Ole Miss in the SEC championship just two days earlier, made a passionate case for the project. He described the current facility—over a century old—as a significant disadvantage in recruiting and overall student-athlete experience.
"We're currently using a facility that's over 100 years old, and all of our competition in the Southeastern Conference—and that other school up north here in Florida (FSU)—have facilities that are just so far above and beyond us," Deacon told the commission.
Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler raised a key question about the future of the Mark Bostick Golf Course, the program's current home. Deacon confirmed that UF would retain and continue using that course, allowing the program to leverage both facilities. Wheeler also voiced community concerns about public access, specifically asking whether the Mark Bostick course could be opened to non-university golfers.
Deacon confirmed that public golfers would have opportunities to play, though specific details are still being finalized. For Gators fans and golf enthusiasts alike, this project represents more than just new fairways and greens—it's a statement of intent from a program that refuses to be left behind in the competitive landscape of collegiate golf.